Queen in hospital with stomach bug

Queen Elizabeth II has been taken to hospital for the first time in 10 years suffering symptoms of gastroenteritis.

Buckingham Palace announced the 86-year-old monarch first developed the stomach bug on Friday, and the decision to take her to hospital was a precautionary measure.

A spokesman said the Queen was in good spirits and her condition was not deteriorating.

A number of her engagements for the coming week, including a trip to Italy scheduled for March 6-7, have been cancelled or postponed.

The Queen last appeared in public on Thursday when she bestowed honours on British Olympic medallists, including heptathlon star Jessica Ennis.

The palace spokesman added she had been spending the weekend at Windsor Castle, outside of London, and was driven by private car from there to the King Edward VII hospital in central London at about 3pm Sunday (local time).

The spokesman said she was there for precautionary assessments and may remain there for a couple of days.

Queen Elizabeth usually maintains a busy schedule of public and private engagements, although in recent years she has cut down on her once hectic timetable of foreign trips.

The Queen has enjoyed a period of high popularity over the past two years.

The Queen's own Diamond Jubilee celebrations last year cemented her popularity, as did her participation in the opening ceremony of the London Olympic Games.

The private King Edward VII is the hospital of choice for members of the royal family.

The Duchess of Cambridge was treated there for acute morning sickness in December.

The last time the Queen was admitted to hospital was in 2003 for a knee operation.